Caffeine may be the cause of jitters in adults, but it can prove life-saving in premature babies by preventing deadly apnea, the cessation in breathing that underlies crib death, doctors report in a study published Nov. 8.
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, found the benefits of caffeine far outweigh any risks because the drug not only helps prevent apnea but also can reduce the risk of serious disabilities. The research is important, experts said, because even though doctors knew caffeine worked, there was very little data about the treatment's safety.
